


The case of the overly ripe avocados

by aleclestrade (meddowstaylor)



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Epistolary, Established Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade, M/M, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:40:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26330521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meddowstaylor/pseuds/aleclestrade
Summary: with Mycroft's line of work and Greg's schedule comes separation and communicating through late hours messages. Greg knew what he was getting into, but sometimes he can't help but feel the sadness and the loneliness - and the catalyst for frustration can be anything really. Even offending overly ripe avocados.
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Comments: 5
Kudos: 66





	The case of the overly ripe avocados

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here goes nothing. My first Mystrade story after spending months reading such amazing works for this couple and recently being inspired by all the great people that love this pairing. Also my first take on epistolary format. Hope everyone enjoys it!
> 
> (italics for Mycroft's texts and regular for Greg's)

******  
9:38 pm  
This is why I hate your part of town, btw.

[enclosed image.]

_9:49 pm  
You hate my neighborhood because of… avocados?_

9:49  
Overly ripe avocados

_9:50 pm  
Ah. My mistake  
I guess the avocados were nicer on your side then_

9:51 pm  
No, they weren’t.  
You couldn’t even get avocados there. But it wasn’t expected of me to get avocados. I’m here -alone- and people are buying avocados and I feel pressured to do so. Anything to get them to stop staring at me.

[enclosed image]

_9:52 pm  
You do not look pressured, you look fine._

9:52 pm  
I look sad

_9:52 pm  
No, you don’t._

_10:00 pm  
Because of the avocados?_

10:10 pm  
No, because I miss you.  
If you were here the avocados wouldn’t have gone bad because we would have eaten them. You like them in your salads. Makes you happy for some reason

_10:11 pm  
It’s like talking with a child. You see something green in your dish and you squirm before trying it._

_10:30 pm  
So it’s not the neighborhood’s fault after all._

10:35 pm  
No.

10:40 pm  
And I do.

_10:40 pm  
You do what?_

10:41 pm  
Look sad. You just haven’t been around enough to tell the difference.

_10:41 pm  
You’re saying you’re sad when I’m there too?_

10:41 pm  
No, but it’s getting harder to pretend you won’t just leave. Even when you’re here. You’re a clever man, you must have seen the facade fall off. Don’t pretend otherwise.

_10:42 pm  
M. is typing ..._

10:42  
And I know what you’re gonna say.  
That I knew this was your job and that I don’t exactly have a peaceful 9 to 5 one either. 

_10:42  
M. stopped typing_

10:42 pm  
But I miss you. And I’m looking at these avocados and I feel like the house is too big, the neighborhood is too posh and everyone stares at me in the market because they can tell I’m miserable.

10:45 pm  
And I’m not asking you to come back or change things you can’t change.

_10:45 pm  
You’re asking me to pick up avocados on my way home when I get there._

10:50 pm  
Yeah. Simple as that 

*****

4 _:03 am  
Do you think you’d be happier if we lived elsewhere?_

_4:05 am  
I know you said it’s not the neighborhood and I believe you_

4:10 am  
It’s not the neighborhood. Or the house. 

4:11 am  
Or you.  
I thought you knew this.  
Didn’t think I’d have to clarify, but it’s not. Forget I even mentioned it

_4:11 am  
What are you doing awake?_

4:13 am  
Couldn’t sleep. Was thinking it’d be breakfast time for you

_4:14 am  
Lunch, actually._

4:15 am  
Sorry, logging new places into my clock app lost its novelty 

_4:18 am  
You’re still upset_

4:19 am  
It’s the middle of the night and I can’t sleep because you’re not here and I’m afraid if I bring it up again you’ll get tired of me or point out how senseless I’m being. Of course I’m upset

_4:25 am  
Please try to get some sleep_

***

_5:02 pm_

_[enclosed image]_

_They tasted rather bland. Maybe it is the place that aids avocados, after all. And these fall short._

5:03 pm  
Very charming  
It’s still gross to eat them for breakfast, you know

_5:04 pm  
I didn’t even have to order them, they were just offered _

5:05 pm  
I wouldn’t put it pass you to go out of your way to get them just to spite me

_5:07 pm  
Do you really fancy me as that cruel?_

5:08 pm  
No!  
Ugh, humor gets lost over text 

5:10 pm  
I find myself having to explain every little word. No, I don’t think you’re cruel, or that avocados in general are *that* gross

5:13 pm  
Really. 

5:24 pm  
I just miss you, okay?  
And saying so comes naturally to me. I miss you. I think when you put your mind to getting on my nerves you’d be more than willing to pester the hotel staff to make you an avocado toast just to take a picture. 

5:25pm  
I don’t put it pass you making a special order only to make sure we’re not having an argument and giving you an excuse to check in. 

5:26 pm  
It’s not the house I hate, but how every corner reminds me of you. It’s not the neighborhood but how I used to make excuses to come to this side of town to run into you before we were together. I don’t like to think of time differences because it’s another reminder you’re not here. I love you. It scares me how much I do.

5:28 pm  
That’s all I can’t say. 

5:28 pm  
So I don’t 

5:29 pm  
Seems unfair of me to say all of that when I don’t know if it’s allowed

_5:33 pm  
Don’t be ridiculous, of course it is. _

5:33 pm  
That’s really the best you can do?

_5:35 pm  
For now, it is.  
I wish it would come as natural to me as it does to you.  
But know this - the house was always too big before you got there, I despise the neighborhood if not for the memories we made there. And if it meant you’d sleep better at night and never doubt my feelings, I’d turn my eye on every avocado in the world. _

5:45 pm  
The last part I have a hard time believing

5:50 pm  
Big sacrifices are worth the reward.


End file.
